By Andrew Irumba
UNBS Executive Director Dr. Manyindo has revealed that findings from a verification exercise conducted by the standards making and enforcement body from June to December 2017 indicate that over 90% of the power metres checked were defective.
In what has given credence to long standing consumer speculation that the pre-paid metres, used under the yaka service installed by power distributor Umeme Ltd, could be a conduit to literally steal their money, the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) could have provided timely evidence to the effect today.
The exercise involved checking 6500 meters installed at consumer premises. Only 500 metres passed the compliance test, representing a paltry 7.6% with 6000, representing 92.4% flanking.
The results could serve to throw the proverbial stone in a beehive, coming at a time of widespread complaints about umeme and strenuous economic times for the average consumer.
Already, some consumers are contemplating calling for a broad investigation into the matter, while others are planning to drag the power distributor to court.
The revelation, made at the media centre, could have helped exonerate the UNBS from perceived complicity in the cheating of consumers by Umeme, following earlier confirmation that the power metres used by the company where not calibrated by a competent body and therefore did not comply with the relevant law and regulations.
